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Information Cascades…and Ponies?

Internet memes are some of the most commonplace examples of information cascades. An internet meme is defined as a cultural symbol or social idea transmitted virally via the World Wide Web. Memes usually come in the form of a picture or video, and a majority of them are humor-centered, since humorous material is appealing to forward to others. Examples of popular humor-centered memes include “Rickroll”, “Lolcats”, and “Nyan Cat”.   Almost anyone who has ever browsed the web casually is sure to have come across a number of such pictures or videos that would be considered memes. Though not quite as common, memes based on shock-value and drama also spread rapidly.

So what do these ridiculous memes have anything to do with networks? It was already mentioned that memes are examples of information cascades (herding behavior), but how so? The truth is, when memes are stripped of their popular status, they become nothing more than unrelated pictures or videos with varying degrees of appeal for different people. In other words, with no prior knowledge of the popularity status of these memes, one can only judge the material based on personal appeal, which is largely independent of its popularity. An image that one person finds funniest is not necessarily the most post popular meme, and vice-versa, many will not find the most popular meme very amusing at all. However, a person is more likely to come across an image or video that is already popular, and therefore, more likely to share/forward it, which clearly exemplifies herding behavior. By this mechanism, it is possible for material to spread to viewers who are highly unlikely to have come across the material had it not been for information cascading. Consider the example of the recent meme “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”, a TV show whose primary target demographic is young girls (as the name of the show clearly suggests). However, according to evidence provided by the second link above, Friendship of Magic has gathered a strong following of older viewers, which include male teenagers and adults. Initially, the main reason for this unintended appreciation includes the show’s unique writing and characterization, as well as the Flash-based animation style. Herding behavior soon followed after the show gained meme status, as it gained the attention of people who would never have even thought to watch the show (older males), who, in turn, helped further spread the meme. Thanks to the mechanism of information cascades, a TV show intended for preadolescent girls has become a strong basis for what has become of the most popular internet memes around.

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